“Open fire!”
BANG! Joe Ellsworth was fighting in World War 6, year 3049. He pulled the joystick-like trigger of his plane and a red hot bullet of laser penetrated the the metal of an enemy plane and destroyed it. His spiky black hair rippled on the collar of his tough black leather heat-resistant jacket as his ship flew at 1010 mph. He whirled the ship around and flew off through the darkness of space.

He went down to land on a planet called Ecerepo: its golden beaches and miraculous sunlight amazed Joe’s eyes. He jumped out of the ship and walked along the edge of one of the beaches. Suddenly something glinted on the ground. It was a sparkling pure gold keycard encrusted with rubies. He picked it up and slipped it into his pocket.
Just so no-one noticed him, he quickly flew off to Earth, his home. He landed in London Space Port and jumped out of his ship.
He walked out of the Port and saw that three mysterious men wearing long black hooded robes were following him.

Suddenly Joe was gone. He dashed down the street, closely followed by the men. Then he was trapped in a dark smelly alleyway.
“You have it, the Key of Life,” said the three men simultaneously, in deep croaky voices.
“What!” shouted Joe. “I don’t even know what it is!”
“In your pocket,” said the man on the left.
Joe felt in his pocket and realised it was the golden keycard he’d found on the beach on planet Ecerepo.
“No way! Shut up and die!”
Joe pulled out a laser and fired at each man. But all that happened was that a puff of smoke exploded from their bodies and they carried on walking towards him.
Joe kept firing, but nothing was happening except for the smoke puffing out from these undead creatures.
“We are the Key Holders!” the black figures cried. “You cannot kill us, petty human!”
The figures slowly advanced and prepared for the end. One pulled out a sword, the second an axe and the third a long silver spear.
But unexpectedly Joe fired his gun in the air so someone would find him. Police rushed around the corner but the Key Holders disappeared …

No-one believed Joe’s story so he was considered insane. Eventually Joe threw the golden keycard off a cliff into the ocean and never saw it
again …
To this day, he still wonders what happened on that day the Key Holders came. He wasn’t even sure it was all real.
Oh well. I guess he’ll never know …

The End

Will Joe Ellsworth ever find out the secret of the Keycard of Life? Watch this space for author Alfie’s next episode …